Take Justice Off the Ballot Sandra Day O'Connor

[elleng]

ALTHOUGH our attention as a nation is focused on the selection of a new justice to the Supreme Court, another judicial process that is also extremely important is happening across the country: the selection of state court judges. But in too many states, citizens are being shortchanged by the way these judges are chosen.

Each state has its own method of choosing judges, from lifetime appointments to partisan elections. But judges with a lifetime appointment are not accountable to voters. And elected judges are susceptible to influence by political or ideological constituencies.

A better system is one that strikes a balance between lifetime appointment and partisan election by providing for the open, public nomination and appointment of judges, followed in due course by a standardized judicial performance evaluation and, finally, a yes/no vote in which citizens either approve the judge or vote him out. This kind of merit selection system — now used in some form in two-thirds of states — protects the impartiality of the judiciary without sacrificing accountability.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/opinion/23oconnor.html?hp

[aquart]

1. I don't want to hear a word out of her filthy mouth.

Wish she'd had the decency to die in 2000 before she dirtied herself in Bush v. Gore.

[SharonAnn]

2. However, in this case she's right. And it's really important.

[aquart]

3. Then someone else needs to say it.

Because she has no credibility.